Plants terricolous, scattered to gregarious or forming loose turf, or sterile plants somewhat elongate and ± intertwining, pale yellow-green to dark green. Stems simple, or fertile plants sometimes with 2-4 slender innovations from near base, 2.5-6.0 mm, transverse section round, central strand present but weak and only comprising 2-3cells, sclerodermis absent, hyalodermis absent, cortex of thin-walled cells with epidermal layer slightly thickened on external surface; axillary hairs of 4-6 rectangular to long-elliptic, thin-walled cells, all hyaline or basal 1-2 cells slightly thicker-walled. Leaves erect, slightly contorted and loosely folded along midline when dry, erect to erect-spreading when wet, broadly ovate-lanceolate to spathulate, 0.8-1.4 mm long, upper lamina concave, margin plane, entire or sometimes denticulate in uppermost part, with a weakly differentiated border of 1-3 narrower, thicker-walled and less papillose cells; costa strong and excurrent in a red (rarely hyaline) awn, superficial cells elongate and smooth dorsally, quadrate to short-rectangular and papillose ventrally, transverse section round, dorsal stereid band strong, semicircular, ventral stereid band absent, dorsal andventral epidermis present, ventral cells vertically elongated and forming a distinct, bulging pad, guide cells 4-5 in a single layer, hydroid strand present; upper and mid laminal cells subquadrate (rarely oblate) to short rectangular (10-)13-18(-24) mm long x 8-12 mm wide, rather strongly andunevenly thickened to ± collenchymatous, papillae hollow, simple, 3-6 per cell; basal cells abruptly and strongly differentiated in ca lower 1/3 of leaf, long rectangular, 12-18 mm wide, 3-5: 1, walls firm, bordered by 1-3 rows of narrower and somewhat thicker-walled cells, commonly bistratose in 1-2( x 4) transverse rows at insertion or rarely in marginal patches just above insertion. Dioicous. Perichaetia terminal, inner leaves strongly differentiated, larger (1.2-1.9 mm long), broadly ovate-lanceolate with a sheathing base, differentiated thin-walled basal cells extending 1/2 way or more up leaf. Perigonia terminal, upper leaves of perigoniate plants with hyaline awn and lacking a border, vegetative leaves as described above, antheridia immature. Seta short, 0.18-0.25 mm, 1-2per perichaetium, hyaline to clear brown, straight. Capsule short, immersed in perichaetial leaves, 0.44-0.75 mm long, pale to yellow-brown, broadly ellipsoidal (barrel-shaped)when dry, cupulate to short-cylindrical and constricted below mouth when wet, weakly sulcate wet or dry, base truncate and narrowed abruptly to seta; exothecial cells quadrate to short rectangular, 18-30 mm wide, 1-2.5:1,thin-walled; stomata phanerophore, restricted to very base of capsule; annulus persistent, of 3-4 rows of very strongly thickened cells, inflexed and almost covering mouth when dry, evolute (everted) when moist; peristome very reduced, absent in some capsules but when present of 16 short teeth with 4-5 articulations, greyish to yellow brown or hyaline, papillose. Operculum long-conic, as long as or somewhat exceeding the theca. Calyptra conic to long-mitrate, base sometimes split to form uneven lobes, ca 0.5 mm long, covering operculum, reddish yellow, cells rectangular, rather thick walled, some prorate, forming scattered papillae. Spores spherical to slightly ellipsoidal, brownish, with a distinctly bimodal size distribution, usually with the smaller 11.5-16.0 mm and the larger 17.0-24.5 mm but some capsules with the smaller 13.5-21.0 mm and the larger 26.0-34.5 mm.
Home